Christly Labors in Galilee

‘HEN the lyord withdrew from the great crowd that had gathered about Peter’s door the stars must have pointed their jeweled fingers toward the midnight hour, and there was a joy in Capernaum greater than ever felt before; gratitude and thanksgiving folded up the wings of sleep and bound them with silken fetters of praise-offerings. Those that had been ill went to their homes to rejoice, while the Holy Physician retired to His bed to rest against the labors of the morrow. But knowing that the news of the wonders which He had performed would quickly bring other crowds about Him, gathered from the adjacent region, He arose before it was yet day and sought a quiet place where He might pray and commune with God. This withdrawal became a custom with Jesus. He may have begun it in the early years of His youth, for as the Son of God He must have sought Fatherly advice long before entering upon His ministry, but the Apostles do not mention His retirement for prayerful purpose until the morning following His wondrous works at Capernaum, “When He went out of Peter’s house and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” But how natural an act, how pursuant to the commission which He had been sent into the world to fulfill; how dutiful and respectful was it to the will of God. And He prayed not only for Divine direction, but also as an act of filial love, and in His prayers He held counsel with His Father, and received anew that strength, that grace, that instruction which comes alone from God.

But it was only a short while after His departure from the house that Jesus was missed. Even as the gray of breaking morning began to appear, crowds a.ssembled about Peter’s door to behold and to receive blessings from the Holy One. “But He is gone,” word quickly passed from one to another. A consternation of regret seized all the gathering, and their cries of grief became so great that Peter’s compassion prompted him to lead the people to the place where his Lord had sought seclusion. Probably Peter was accompanied by Andrew and John and James, and going before the throng they found Jesus and apprised Him of the anxiety of the multitude that was seeking Him. But having no desire for popular applause, and feeling that He had already given Capernaum sufficient evidence of His Me.ssiahship, He an.swered, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also; for therefore came I forth.” A great majority of

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1249’ persons depend upon outward manifestations rather than inward workings of the Spirit. Those who had been witnesses to His miracles were therefore more ready to be surprised by the performance of wonders than to be converted by the teachings which He imparted. All men shrink from a revelation of their misdeeds; if they have faults they do not want them aired publicly, and least likely are they to confess them upon accusation. Jesus had not only done miracles, but He boldly denounced the sinfulness of the people and, exposing their vanities, which had drawn them away from God, taught that purification, regeneration, can only come through self-conviction, and self-conviction is dependent upon self- scrutiny, a reflecting upon wrong committed and disobedience to God. Having given all Capernaum a proof of His power over disease, Jesus taught the people the means necessary to salvation, and He was therefore justified in leaving them to ponder His words, to rest the proofs of His teachings on the miracles which He had performed, for if accepted as the Anointed One of God, it must be by the heart rather than by the material understanding. This teaching and evidence it now became His duty to give others, for He was to preach not to one congregation, or to one provincie, or to one nation, but unto the Gentile and Jew alike, and to all people.

Circles of Mercy.

When the persuasion of His disciples proved ineffectual to change His purpose, Jesus was besieged by the gathering with implorations to remain, but He replied to every petition in the same manner, “I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also, for therefore am I sent.” Now began His circuit of Galilee, not probably so extended as it was thorough, for He preached in all the synagogues, visited, most likely, all the towns, and in every place He not only taught, but exercised His Divine power in healing all manner of diseases. There was no locality in Galilee, I am sure, that did not have grateful witness to His beneficent work; long lines of sick, and crippled, and deformed, and blind, came like files of troops marching to quarters, and gathered about Him seeking that help which physicians had been unable to give. With touch, or word, or motion, one after another was healed of all infirmity, until those who came on pallet, or crutch, or unsteady limbs, went away in .full vigor, leaping and praising, and carrying the glad news of their sudden restoration to others in misfortune. It was not one, or a dozen, or a hundred, but thousands of the worst disease- infested, and poison-infested, and hereditarily afflicted that Christ ministered to with invariable success. No wonder that people came flocking to Him from such distant provinces as Judah on the south and Syria on the northeast, and Perse a beyond the Dead Sea, and that wherever He went there multitudes were found encamped.

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The Worst Disease Extirpated.

There was no disease that could baffle the skill of the Great Physician, just as there was no sorrow that He could not dispel, and no hope that He could not fulfill, and no suffering heart that He could not lift up and irradiate with joy. While the works which He performed in making this circuit of Galilee are barely referred to by the Apostles, we appreciate their immeasurable greatness none the less, for if He healed all manner of sickness, and His fame spread so far by reason of the miracles done, we know that He was busy dispensing His gracious influence from earty morning until far into the night, preaching one hour and curing the afflicted for the next six, so that he took little rest, finding refreshment in the labor of doing good and preaching salvation.

Luke gives us to understand that during Christ’s itinerancy in Galilee He performed one miracle which the Evangelist considered of such extraordinary importance that he thought it proper to record the facts, and thus preserve them to future generations. The narrative is brief:” And it came to pass, when He was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy; who, seeing Jesus, fell on his face, and besought Him, saying, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean. And He put forth His hand and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediateh’ the leprosy departed from him. And He charged him to tell no man; but go, and show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.”

There was a reason for Luke attaching so much importance to this miracle, above all others that he had heard of Christ performing before. The restoring of a sightless eye, the straightening of a twisted limb, the cooling of a raging fever, was as much a manifestation of Omnipotent power over the flesh as the healing of a leper, but there was a broader significance attached to the latter by reason of the Mosaic law which condemned lepers to perpetual ostracism from society.

Of all diseases that afflict humanity that of leprosy is at once the most loathsome, the most deadly and the most horrible. No remedy has ever been discovered that will relieve the sufferer or abate its progress. It makes its appearance in more simple form than an incipient cancer, its progress is more insidious, and its termination more dreadful. First a speck, then a scale, gradually spreading from eyelid to palms, then dotting the body, but always enlarging, always eating. From swellings, pustules form, which, breaking into open sores, leave the tissue a quicker prey to its never-sated appetite. Devouring paths through the tissue, it seizes upon the bones and eats on into the marrow, reserving the. vital organs for its last attacks. What monster of foul-breeding loathsomeness; what a remorseless, greedy, cruel and corrupting malady, that never releases its cankering clutch; that never gives a moment’s pause to its malignant course; that moves on with venomous distillment until its invasion is arrested by death.

That from time immemorial men have regarded with supreme horror the victims of leprosy- is most natural, and that the Mosaic law recognized the leprous as sufferers under God’s curse is not a matter for surprise. They were cut off from the congregation, and not only forbidden to come within the pale of society, but were compelled to remain without the walls of a city. They might live in a village, but must never approach any one, and must bear conspicuous evidence of their affliction by wearing a torn garment, leaving the head bare and keeping the beard covered. When any one by chance drew near the leper, he must 1)e warned away by the victim crying out, “Unclean, unclean! “Although this was the law, the belief in the infectious nature of leprosy gradually changed to doubting, until the rigorous ordinances finally became so far relaxed that a leper might dwell with his family — though by doing so his associates became” unclean — and he was even permitted to appear in a synagogue, provided a place could be provided that would separate him from all others of the congregation.

It sometimes happened that a man was accused of being a leper whose affliction had been improperly diagnosed, but when discovery of the true character of ailment was made, he was required to present himself to a priest and undergo a ceremony of cleansing, after which he put on new clothes, and after bathing and making his offerings for purification, he was relieved of restrictions.

But a man full of leprosy, as was the sufferer whom Christ healed, had no hope; he was a living death, a moving charnel-house, an outcast from heaven as well as of earth, for the seal of sin was upon him; he was the reservoir into which had run the slime, the pollution, the poison of seven generations of iniquity, an example of the contaminating and corrupting effects of unbridled sin. That a man so afflicted, who had been taught by Mosaic law and custom to abandon hope because he was without the pale of even God’s mercy, that such a one should seek Jesus and express faith in the Great Physician’s power to cleanse, is a thing of itself approaching the marvelous.

In the healing of the leper, Christ gave an exhibition of His -disregard for ceremonial law, by touching the afflicted man, but His purpose was probably to especially show His imnuuiity from defilement. His mastery over corruption no less than over disease. His touch was therefore the sign of that purity which incorrupts the corruptible, that cleanses the sinful, and which makes a goodly spirit possess the throne of guilt. It was also an evidence that though lepro.sy was considered as a type of sin, Christ regarded not the beliefs of the time when they conflicted with His teachings of salvation to all sinners; that sin is not inherited, and beyond the power of forgiveness, but that however corrupt may be the body, the indwelling spirit, if obedient to God, is preser’ed again.st the possibility of contamination.

So excited became the people — already agitated with emotion at the miracles wrought — over this last and to them most wonderful manifestation of Messiahship, that the crowds which were immense before now became fairly enormous, and gathered in such volume about Jesus that He found it necessary to withdraw Himself from them again. On the outer shore of that ocean of humanity, the voice of Jesus could not be heard, nor could thousands, perhaps, of the diseased be brought through that closely packed throng to the Gracious Healer. Men had permitted their curiosity to close their ears to instruction, so Christ retired, as He had done before, to give opportunity for the leaven of His teachings to work among

the people.

A Great Haul of Fishes.

Having taught in all the synagogues of Galilee, and relieved thousands of sufferers. He seeks rest at the house of His friend Simon Peter, at Capernaum. It appears from the reading of L,uke, particularly, that Jesus was not accompanied by either Peter, Andrew, James or John any considerable time or distance on the evangelic journey through Galilee. They had not yet been called to preach the gospel, and being poor men they could not afford to long abandon their fishing vocation; hence, if they followed the L,ord at all it must have been only on that part of His tour through the immediate region about Capernaum.

Upon His return to Peter’s home, we can imagine with what hearty welcome He was received; not only by the four brethren, but by Peter’s mother-in-law, and the dispossessed demoniac, and the hundreds of other grateful persons whom He had cured of distressing afflictions. Capernaum must have given Him a grand reception, although if it did none of the gospel writers record the fact. The population may have regarded His dislike of ostentation, His love of simplicity, His self-abnegation, His Godly attributes that hold in no esteem any earthly flattery. But He could have been in the city scarcely an hour before His presence would be discovered, and wondering and expectant crowds would begin gathering about Him. “Jesus has returned, and is at the house of Simon Peter.” The glad news flieS up and down the streets as fast as tongue can carry it, and into the adjacent parts with all the speed that rider can convey it. How the people pour out of their places; the merchant from his booth, the mechanic from his shop, the farmer from his field, the clerk from the counting-house; until market, and exchange, and bazaar, and custom-house, and office are abandoned, all their busy occupants having joined the throng that is moving or has already, gathered about Jesus. It is to such a multitude that the Divine Teacher and Holy Healer goes out of Peter’s house, because the family are distressed by the pressure, and so He walks down to the shore of Gennesaret. Still the throng presses about Him, one pushing behind another until there is no chance to preach because of the jam that crowds Him fairly into the sea. But their eagerness to hear Him shall not be disappointed. Seeing two empty fishing boats anchored to the shore, He gets into one and tells Peter to push it a few feet out into water, when being at a convenient distance from His immense audience, He sits in the prow and discourses to the people.

Simon Peter had spent nearly all the preceding night seining the lake, but with such poor success that he had nothing to show for his toil. It was evidently a bad time for fishing; the wind may have been in the east, or a cold spell may have driven the fish into deeper water; or a hot spell may have made them lie

THE MIRACUI.OUS DRAUGHT OF FISHES. — From the Painting by Jean Jouvenct.

sluggishly on the bottom. Jesus saw the ill-favored condition of the time for fishing, and therefore to work a miracle before the vast crowd that had congregated on the shore, to give a proof of His divine commission, having finished His discourse. He said to Peter, “I^aunch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.” Or in other words, “Peter, call your assistants and row out into the deep water of the lake and make a cast of your largest net.”

But though it was an order from his Divine Master, more than one of whose miraculous performances he had been witness to, yet Simon was so doubtful of success that he replied, “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing; nevertheless at Thy word I will let down the net.” And half-heartedly the fishermen pulled awaj’ some distance from the shore, but still in good view of the wondering spectators, and at Christ’s direction they cast the net! Make a sweep as broad as the seine will allow and then draw in. Now steady; why, what makes it so heavy; certainly something very large is in the net. Pull stronger; ever>’ hand lend an aid; oh, what a drag; what does it mean? The cause is soon discovered, for as the net is slowly lifted, there are to be seen swirls in the water, then fins, and flouncing tails, and great commotion prove that there is an extraordinary catch. And though hauling with all their strength, and until faces grow red and muscles of bared arms swell under the strain, yet the fishermen begin to rejoice at their wonderful success. But it is too early for rejoicing, for snap goes a thread of the net, and snap goes another thread; the meshes are growing larger and leaving doors open for escape, while the boat is careening under the great weight on one side until it is shipping water, until there is not only danger of losing the fish but of sinking the smack also. To avoid such an extremity, Peter cries out for help to some fishermen who are in another boat near by, and these quickly responding, by their assistance the net and its overflowing contents are saved. The fish are tumbled into the two crafts until under the accumulating weight they sink lower and lower in the water, till the gunwales are almost level with the surface, till another pound must not be added or else the boats will sink. Now carefully row to shore; hold your positions, for the slightest topple will bring the water rushing over the sides, and the catch will yet be lost! But being good fishermen the two crews were also good boatmen, and by perfect seamanship they reached the shore safely with everything saved. Now was the time for rejoicing. But Peter did not rejoice so much over the success of the miraculous haul of fish as he was humiliated by an awakened conscience that revealed his faithlessness; his self-reproachment for doubting the words of Christ, in the implied declaration that a cast of the net would result in a large catch of fish, caused Peter therefore to fall on his knees at Jesus’ feet, and to exclaim, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Or, “I am unworthy to be called Thy servant, for I have not shown that fullness of confidence, that faith in Thy divine works, that obedience to Thy wishes, which a true servant owes to a good Master.”

But Jesus had no rebuke for the conscience- stricken Simon, to whom He only replied, “Fear not: from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” And when they had brought their ships to land, they [Simon, Andrew, John and James] forsook

all and followed Him.”

The Fierce Bigotry of Rabbi nism.

lycaving the lake-side to escape for a time the importunings of curiosity devotees, the discomforts of an inconsiderate rabble, that crowded about Him in a ‘ARISE, TAKE UP THY BED, AND WAI,K.” — Drawn by Bida. (.257)

confusion of babbling tongues and pushing, jostling throng, Jesus repaired to a house (most probably Peter’s) for an hour of rest. Whether He was permitted to refresh Himself by sleep, or secure a respite for a while from the taxing labors of teaching and healing, is doubtful, for there was no abatement of public excitement, but rather an increas’e, for as the news of His doings continued to spread, the crowd augmented almost hourly by the arrival of people drawn to Capernaum from all parts of Galilee and Judah. Among those who there sought Jesus were many Pharisees and rabbis from Jerusalem, who came not so much to hear Him preach, or with honest purpose, as to discover how strong had become His influence with the people, and to condemn Him if opportunity offered. While pretending to righteousness and holding all ecclesiastical authority, the Pharisees and rabbis in reality composed the dominant political party, and therefore regarded temporal rather than spiritual supremacy as the highest desideratum, to which end they subordinated all other aspirations. They maintained their exclusive right to direct all religious training, and became insanely jealous of any intrusion upon what they regarded as their own special domain. They dressed in the most impressive habiliments, long robes, betasseled caps and broad prayerfillets on arms and forehead, walked with measured pace, commonly wore long beards and assumed a look of profoundest wisdom. They not only officiated in religious ceremonies, but representing all learning at the time, they were also public functionaries, judges of criminal as well as civil courts, and were the nation’s lawgivers. They were especially jealous of the formularies long prescribed, and punished with severity any infraction of ecclesiastical law. But this rigid literalism was used merely as a cloak to hide their true ambitions, for their real purpose was to increase and perpetuate their worldly powers at the expense of the deluded people, whom they indeed despised.

Learning of the miracles that Jesus was performing in Galilee, and the teachings which He was imparting, that were spreading a liberalizing influence among the Jews to the imperilment of their own authority, the Pharisees and rabbis considered it their duty to interpose such obstacles as the people would permit to a further dissemination of the doctrines of salvation through regeneration. They regarded Jesus as a good man, but not as God: and though He might have the power to do wonders and to teach with a wisdom not found among any of their own sect, this superior qualification only served to increase their hostility and to make them rabid enemies and to institute a persecution of Him which did not cease until they precipitated the tragedy on Golgotha.

An Invalid Shoulders his flattress.

Jesus had no doubt noted the presence of many Pharisees and rabbis among the crowds that were now besieging Him, and with omniscient wisdom He must Kuril Sur/a|^H|r|:“^, ‘^’’ ZZ *”’*“”’ have foreseen the fierce attitude they would assume and the open hostility that would terminate with His death. But if He did, this foreshadowed doom could not change His purpose, any more than curses of men can chain a thunderbolt, or the wrath of the sinful can dim the lustre of the sun.

When, therefore, the crowds pressed about the door of His lodging place, in response to their desires Jesus preached to them, probably from an upper window, making His discourse as fiery with condemnation of the base hypocrisies of the ruling classes as He had done before.

While Jesus was thus preaching, four men were seen on the outer boundary * of that immense audience, carrying a palsied patient on a pallet and trying to make a way through the throng to the house; but with all their efforts the multitude stood so thickly massed that an opening could not be made. Seeing the futility of the attempt to force a way through the crowd, the four carried their charge around to the rear of the house and by means of a ladder ascended to the top. Nearly all dwellings in Palestine have a flat roof, to which the occupants repair after sunset in the heated season for fresh air, and where they sit until long hours in the night enjoying the cool breezes. These roofs, especially those of the cheaper houses, are made of alternate layers of earth and straw, pressed down sa compactly as to shed rain; but they need frequent repairing and are easily removed. The four men, after reaching the housetop with their helpless charge, set immediately to work making an opening in the roof, and succeeding in this they procured ropes which they attached to the bed, by which the poor palsied sufferer was lowered to the floor where Christ stood. What matchless hope; what persistent faith; what greatness of belief! He had certainly heard how Jesus had healed the leper, and though taught to believe that palsy was also a type of sin, the victim now felt that divine mercy was above sin, and therefore above the limitations of the law against uncleanness. And with this thought, the sufferer’s. hopes are inspired until he insists on being taken into the presence of the Divine Physician. Jesus saw the great faith of the helpless man, and as a reward for his persistence, the Holy Healer turned from the great audience for a moment to speak health to the afflicted one, saying, “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” Whether the sufferer were a lad, or a man; whether the salutation indicatesthe youthfulness of the patient, or was a term of endearment; or implies an early state in the new birth of regeneration, is not material, since the final result bore triumphant testimony to the power of Jesus.

There were many Pharisees and rabbis within the sound q{ Christ’s voice, who, finding an opportunity to criticise, now began to condemn Him for assuming the prerogatives of Jehovah; but they were afraid to openly make their accusations before the crowd that were witnesses of the noble and Godly deeds done. In their hearts therefore they said:” Who is this man that He assumes the power which God alone has, to forgive sin! Is He not a blasphemer? Is He not therefore worthy to be stoned to death?” But though these words of condemnation were not uttered, Jesus felt them, for lips could make no revelation to Him, so He turns upon the fault-finders and says to them:” Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts, whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, * Thy sins be forgiven thee,’ or to say, ‘Arise, arid rake up thy bed and walk? ‘But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins (He said to the sick of the palsy), I say unto thee, * Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way unto thine house.’ And immediately he arose, took up the bed whereon he lay, and went forth before them all, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.”

What a confounding of the blasphemers, what a rebuke to their vain pretendings, their mockery of righteousness, their bigoted intolerance. Seeing such a manifestation of divine power pouring out its gracious influence from a fountain of infinite mercy, of compassion, of love, it would appear that human nature could not be so base as to reject the evidence. But greed, avarice, pride of’ self, ambition, change the currents of a natural benevolence until it wastes itself; then Satan supplies the reservoir thus emptied by a pouring in of hellish distillments that drown the soul. And so it was with the Pharisees and rabbis; to have accepted Christ, or acknowledge His authority from God, would have been to surretider their own power, to have renounced their own ambitions, to have condemned themselves as hypocrites before the people. Instead, therefore, they set about concocting plans to circumvent Christ by bringing Him into disrepute as a dangerous teacher, who was offending against the law and violating immemorial custom, and denouncing the faiths and beliefs of the nation. That they finally succeeded in their impious designs is the one great and everlasting reproach, the stain and stigma most foul and ineffaceable, the iniquity and atrocity most horrible, of which humanity stands condemned.

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